Referendum and open letter show that asylum seeker accommodation plans such as Linton-on-Ouse are inappropriate
The idea of a small village in Oxfordshire declaring independence from Britain is absurd but there’s an important message behind the stunt by the villagers of Piddington.
The people of Piddington feel neglected as the Government tries to ramrod through ill-conceived proposals to house asylum seekers in the village. On the one hand the Prime Minister is promising to put power back into the hands of communities on another his Government is refusing to listen to the concerns of villages that face the prospect of having to host asylum seeker accommodation.
While those in Whitehall may be tempted to continue with a dismissive attitude towards villages such as Piddington and indeed Linton-on-Ouse, for the people living there it is about getting their voices heard.
The open letter from the Linton-on-Ouse Action Group to the Home Secretary is of no less significance. This was another direct plea to the Government, after thousands of requests from villagers for engagement on the issue were ignored.
The PM’s desire for poorer communities not to be disproportionately burdened with hosting asylum accommodation is understandable. However, this is an issue that cannot just be viewed through an economic lens.
It has to be about feasibility. Do places like Linton-on-Ouse and Piddington have the infrastructure to cope with an influx of asylum seekers? The answer is a resounding no.
The Home Office is proposing to house 1,200 adult male asylum seekers in Linton-on-Ouse, a village with around 600 adult residents. Those numbers should raise a red flag on any Whitehall mandarin's spreadsheet. In a bid to end the inappropriate use of hotels to house asylum seekers, the Government is reaching for equally inappropriate solutions.